On Sept. 2, boys varsity water polo kicked off the season with a win against Whittier HS with a score of 14-13.
Second-year Head Coach Amy Mattson dives into the preparations that supported the team’s success and describes her plans for the following games.
“My game plan for our game on Thursday was to have good team dynamics and have the fundamentals of
water polo down,” Mattson explained. “This was our first game coming back after not having a season last year, so we had a lot to work on coming into our first game. [For future games], I will prepare the team by continuing to work on their skills and [teach them] how to communicate better as a team.”
The match was close but thanks to a nail-biting last-minute goal by Devin Plascencia (12), the team snagged its first victory of the year.
Despite this excellent play, co-team captain Slade Mendoza (12) stayed humble and focused on the facets of the game that he and his teammates are looking to improve upon.
“I would say this was one of our better games,” Mendoza said. “Our team has not played in two years due to COVID. This game was a great morale booster as every player got to score at least one goal. Still, I would say our team needs to improve on setting up on defense and offense. Once we can do that we can begin to run plays.”
Gianna Barro (11), who attended the match last Thursday, had similar feelings.
“We were tied when Devin scored the winning shot with a minute on the clock. It was my favorite play by far,” Barro said. “It has been so long since water polo has had a game and seeing everyone on the bleachers on top of the boys playing was just as exciting as I remember from my freshman year! I was so happy to see so many people showing their support. I plan on attending all the games for Varsity and Junior Varsity I can.”
Boys varsity water polo’s next game is at home against Don Lugo HS on Sept. 16.
